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Auckland Transport says the patches are only temporary, but some of these potholes are appearing year-after-year.
The appalling state of north Rodney’s roads is being blamed on the weather.
While Auckland Transport (AT) won’t provide figures on how many calls it is receiving about the roads in the north, Rodney Local Board chair Beth Houlbrooke confirms that roading issues are the number one complaint that board members deal with on a daily basis.
“I can’t even go to the supermarket without being accosted, and I think it is getting worse,” she says.
“There is concern that some roads that seem adequate are receiving treatment, ahead of roads that are obviously failing.”
Ms Houlbrooke says service level agreements with AT’s major roading contractor will be re-negotiated early next year and this will be an opportunity to revisit road treatments and budgets.
An AT spokesperson says that this is the second wettest year on record for Auckland, which has put additional pressure on the roading network.
“During the wet months there are temporary fixes done on roads, and in the drier months (usually October to March) the long-term fixes and upgrades are done,” he says. “In the case of sealed roads, this ensures the water does not get under the seal, which can cause it to lift, and in the case of unsealed roads, the water can mean the material does not have time to get bedded down enough.”
He says there are three graders working on unsealed roads, on the north Rodney network.
A Downer spokesperson says permanent pavement repairs on sealed roads require dry weather.
“This is why local residents may see more road work over summer when the weather is more predictable.”
Downer confirms that traffic management teams are receiving a lot of roadside “feedback” from residents. Some road workers say they are regularly being abused and tooted at.
“We do ask that local residents drive to the conditions and take care when passing road workers. We are local, too, and we want to ensure everyone gets home safely each day,” the Downer spokesperson says.
Although AT would not confirm how much it spends on road maintenance in Rodney, a report to the Local Board earlier this year stated that $14.6 million was spent on sealed road routine maintenance, including pothole filling and small pavement patches, across the whole of Auckland in 2015/16.
The report also stated that cars cause minimal wear to pavement and the impact of heavy vehicles increased exponentially with axle weight. Ministry of Transport data shows travel by heavy vehicles (defined as 12 tonne or more) registered in Auckland has increased by 10 per cent since 2011.
Meanwhile, Warkworth Beaurepaires owner Brendan Woolley says motorists are paying dearly in damage to tyres and rims.
“We’re probably averaging three vehicles a week, but it’s not unusual to get three in one day,” Brendan says.
Brendan says repairs can run into thousands of dollars depending on the make of the car and the type of rims. Some rims have to be imported so there is also a time delay. “We’re seeing a lot of low profile and European cars.”
Cars are coming in from around the district, although Matakana Road and State Highway 1, near Cowans Bay Road, are overly represented.
One pothole on State Highway 1, through the Dome, was believed to have damaged six cars in one day.
While it is keeping the tyre shops busy, Brendan says it’s not the sort of business he wants.
“You want to be giving people service, not dealing in misery.”
Compensation
Damaged your car on a pothole? Auckland Transport has a compensation process to help motorists meet repair costs. For more information, phone 09 355 3553 or email info@at.govt.nz
